


Christmas For Two

by HaughtScot



Series: Half the World Away [4]
Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Dancer!Waverly, F/F, Festive fic, Geologist!Nicole, SleighHaught, There’s no sleigh, Wayhaught - Freeform, and no plot, lots of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:41:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21906145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HaughtScot/pseuds/HaughtScot
Summary: When Nicole can’t make it home from the back of beyond for the holidays, Waverly goes to her instead. What will their first Christmas on their own bring?A festive instalment in the Half the World Away series 🎄
Relationships: Waverly Earp & Nicole Haught, Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught
Series: Half the World Away [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1273793
Comments: 29
Kudos: 133





	Christmas For Two

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas and happy holidays! I didn’t expect to write one let alone two Christmas fics, but here we are! This one came about when I remembered that in the last part of this series (Familiar Ground), there was a throwaway comment about spending Christmas together when Nicole is off on assignment.
> 
> So let’s see what that Christmas might look like...

“Ah, fudgenuggets,” Waverly groaned as the engine spluttered once more then gave up. She peered out into the fading light, hoping to see another set of headlights but having barely passed another vehicle for the last half hour she knew it was unlikely. 

The snow was falling lightly now but had accumulated enough to render her stuck. Sighing, she picked up her phone and, relieved to see she still had a strong enough signal, called Nicole. 

She answered almost straight away, “Hey baby! Are you almost here?” 

“Um, I don’t think I’m far away. But there’s a bit of a problem...” 

“What’s happened? Are you okay?” Nicole was immediately concerned. 

“I’m okay. My car isn’t though. It’s kinda stuck.” 

“Oh, Waves. How did that happen?” 

“It was making noises so I pulled over to check what it was. Now there’s a lot of snow and it won’t start again.” 

“Did you get the car checked out before you left? You said you were having trouble with it.” 

“I didn’t have time to get it to a garage. It had been fine though,” Waverly defended herself. 

“You should’ve, with this long drive coming up.” 

“That’s not helpful right now, Nicole,” Waverly huffed. 

“I know, I’m sorry. Do you have any idea where you are?” 

Checking the GPS, Waverly said, “About half an hour from you.” 

“Okay. Send me your location and I’ll come get you. I’ll call for a tow truck from town for the Jeep.” 

“Thank you. Sorry for the trouble,” Waverly apologised. 

“It’s fine. Just sit tight, okay? I’ll get there as soon as I can.” 

“I will. Drive safe.” 

Once Waverly had sent her location to Nicole, she dropped her phone back on to the seat next to her and settled in to wait, cursing her luck. After six weeks apart, this was not how she wanted their reunion to start. Nicole had been been working away for three months and had only made it home for a visit once in that time. Unable to come back for Christmas, Waverly had decided to visit her instead. It was to be their first Christmas on their own; their previous holidays together had been spent with Nicole’s parents or with Wynonna and Gus. 

It wasn’t long before the temperature inside the car had dropped enough to have Waverly shivering. Bracing herself to face the icy air outside, she got out of the car and hurried round to open the trunk. Unzipping her bag, she pulled out the first sweater she found and grabbed a blanket too before slamming the trunk shut and jumping back into the car as quickly as she could. 

She pulled the sweater over her head and reached for the coat she’d discarded on the passenger seat earlier. When she was zipped into the puffy coat, she tucked the blanket over her lap and around her legs. Sighing in relief as she started to warm up again, she leaned her head against the window and watched as the snow continued to fall silently. With no other cars on the road and darkness beginning to fall, the Jeep, chilly as it was, felt like a cocoon. 

Waverly checked her phone every few minutes, each time surprised at how little time had passed, and hoped that Nicole would show up soon. She had just put her phone back on her lap when it rang, and she snatched it back up, almost dropping it again in her haste to answer. 

“Nicole?” 

“Hi. Are you okay?” 

“I’m fine. It’s a bit cold but I’ve got a blanket. Are you nearby?” 

“I am, but, ah, well, I’m stuck,” she admitted. 

“You’re stuck? What’s happened?” 

“Well, I took one of the pool cars and apparently whoever used it last didn’t fill it up. By the time I realised it was too late. I hoped it would be enough to reach you but I’m about a mile away.” 

Waverly couldn’t resist saying, “Shouldn’t you have checked that before you left, Nicole?” 

“Yeah, very funny. I guess I deserved that,” conceded Nicole. 

“So what now?” 

“I’ve called for the tow truck for you, hopefully it won’t be too long.” 

“And what about you?” Waverly wanted to know. 

“We’ll have to arrange for it to come back for this car. I’m close enough that I can walk to you just now.” 

“No, don’t do that. Stay with the car. The weather’s too bad, and it’s getting dark.” 

“It’ll be fine, I can be there in about twenty minutes. I’ve got the right gear for it,” Nicole reassured her. 

“Are you sure? I really don’t like the idea of you walking along a deserted road in this,” Waverly frowned. 

“Honestly Waves, I’ve been out in much worse than this in the past month. I’m going to leave now, and I’ll be there soon, okay?” 

“Please be careful, Nicole. If it’s worse than you thought, get back to the car and wait.” 

“I promise. I’ll call you if I do that.” 

They said goodbye and Waverly wrapped the blanket more tightly around herself, leaning forward to look out of the windscreen as if peering into the snow would make Nicole appear. The snow was coming down heavier now, hastening the arrival of full darkness, and there was still no sign of any life outside of the car. Waverly was reassured by the text updates Nicole sent every five minutes or so, but she still couldn’t help but worry about her being out there alone. 

It felt to Waverly like hours had passed before she saw a faint circle of light bobbing in the distance, heading her way. Soon she could make out a figure behind the light, dressed in dark clothes and with a hat pulled low on their head. 

As soon as Waverly was certain that it was Nicole, she got out of the car and rushed towards her, throwing her arms around her in a crushing hug. 

“Oh, I’m so glad to see you!” she exclaimed, her voice muffled against Nicole’s shoulder. 

Nicole’s arms tightened around her waist for a moment before she pulled back a little to look at her. “Are you okay? Let’s get back in the car.” 

Waverly climbed back into the driver’s seat and Nicole, once she’d taken off her backpack, got in the passenger side. She took off the head torch she’d been wearing and placed it on the dash, providing some light in the car. Pulling off her thick gloves, she turned to Waverly and asked, “Have you managed to stay warm enough? Are you hungry? Do you need-”

“Wait,” Waverly interrupted, before leaning over, tugging Nicole closer by her scarf and kissing her. Nicole’s skin was cold but Waverly didn’t flinch, just cupped her face as she deepened the kiss, as if she could make up for the weeks they’d spent apart. Her happiness at seeing Nicole was matched by the relief she felt that she had made it safely. She finally pulled back but not too far, resting her forehead against Nicole’s as she whispered, “Hi.” 

“Hi. I’ve missed you.” 

The simple statement, accompanied by a soft smile, made Waverly grin in return. “Oh, I’ve missed you too. I didn’t think you’d be walking through the snow to rescue me though.”

“It’s not really how I was imagining this reunion either,” Nicole agreed. “I do have something for you though.” 

She reached into her backpack and pulled out a thermos, which she handed to Waverly. 

“What’s this?” 

“Tea. I’ve got coffee as well in case you’d rather have that?” Nicole offered as she produced a second flask from her bag. 

Even after more than three years together Waverly was still sometimes surprised by Nicole’s thoughtfulness. “Tea is wonderful. You’re a lifesaver. Have I mentioned that I love you?” 

“Not today,” Nicole smiled. 

“Well, I do. A lot.” Waverly leaned over to kiss Nicole again. 

“And for that, you can have this blanket. I know you’ve got one, but I thought you’d appreciate a bonus blanket.” 

“You know me so well. How long do you think we’ll have to wait?” Waverly asked. 

‘When I called for the tow Jimmy was already out on a job. He’ll get to us next, with gas for the other car.” 

“I don’t mind now that you’re here. Maybe we should get in the back?” 

Nicole raised her eyebrows. “What are you suggesting, Waverly Earp?” 

Waverly swatted her arm. “Haha. I just meant there’s more room, and we can share the blankets.” She couldn’t deny though that the thought of getting closer to Nicole in the back seat was an appealing one.

“That’s a good idea.” 

Nicole started to open her door to move into the back but Waverly just twisted round and clambered through the gap. Nicole was laughing as she climbed in next to Waverly, pulling the door shut behind her. 

“I think I’d have got well and truly stuck if I’d tried that.” 

“See, you make fun of me being short but it comes in useful,” said Waverly smugly.

“Excuse me, I never make fun of your height. It suits you perfectly,” Nicole laughed. 

Waverly slid closer, tucking herself into Nicole’s side as she draped the blankets over their laps. Nicole reached over to tuck the blanket more securely around them then leaned back against the seat, bringing Waverly closer with an arm around her shoulders. Waverly sighed contentedly and found Nicole’s hand under the blankets, linking their fingers. It felt like she’d been waiting so long to share this closeness that it didn’t matter about the circumstances, she was just happy to be back with Nicole. 

The air in the car wasn’t much warmer than outside but with her extra layers, the blankets and the reassuring warmth of Nicole pressed against her, Waverly barely felt the cold. They were quiet for a moment, just enjoying being together, then Nicole laughed quietly. 

Waverly craned her neck to look at her and asked, “What’s so funny?” 

“Just this. You drove for eight hours and broke down half an hour away. I tried to help and managed to get stuck too. Great start to Christmas.” 

“Well, we’ve never really done things the easy way, have we? This seems fitting somehow.” 

“I guess so. Just another story to tell. Are you still cold?” 

“Warming up nicely. Aren’t you overheating?” Waverly knew that Nicole always ran hotter than she did. 

“A little,” she replied, moving enough to unzip her heavy jacket. As soon as she did, Waverly slid her arm under her jacket, snuggling as close as she could. 

“I’m not complaining Waves, but that probably isn’t going to help with the overheating,” Nicole chuckled. 

“This will,” Waverly answered as she quickly pushed her hand under Nicole’s sweater and t-shirt to rest against the warm skin of her stomach. 

“Ahhh!” Nicole flinched. “Your hand’s freezing.” 

“Warm it up then.” 

“Oh, I’ll warm you up,” Nicole assured her, and before Waverly knew what was happening, Nicole had pulled her onto her lap and into a heated kiss. 

Waverly relaxed into it, leaving her hand where it was on Nicole’s stomach and bringing the other up to cup her face as they kissed. No matter how often they’d done this, Waverly thought that she would never tire of kissing Nicole. No amount of FaceTime calls could come close to actually being with her, feeling that familiar heat grow as they continued to kiss. 

It was so easy to lose herself in Nicole; their predicament faded from her mind as she pressed herself closer, as close as she could to Nicole. The hand under Nicole’s sweater roamed, brushing over the bumps of her ribs and back down to the waistband of her pants. 

She fumbled with the button, struggling to undo it with one hand, until Nicole caught her wrist. “Waverly? What are you doing?” 

“Trying to get into your pants,” Waverly mumbled. 

“In the back seat of your car?” 

“Wouldn’t be the first time.” Waverly laughed as she watched Nicole’s face flush slightly at the memory. 

“That’s true, but not when we’re waiting to be rescued in a snowstorm.” 

“Seemed like a good way to keep warm,” Waverly shrugged. Truthfully, she didn’t care where they were, she just wanted to be close to Nicole.

Nicole laughed. “God I’ve missed you.” She reached out to unzip Waverly’s jacket and once it was open, wrapped her arms around her back to pull her flush against her. Encouraged, Waverly braced herself with one hand against the seat and eased her other hand further into Nicole’s pants. Nicole rocked her hips up into her hand, pulling her back into a kiss. Waverly’s deft fingers had almost reached their goal when a light suddenly flashed across the interior of the car. 

Startled, Waverly snatched her hand back and rolled off Nicole just as the sound of a rumbling engine reached their ears.

“Shit! Is that the tow truck?” Nicole asked, fumbling in her haste to fasten her pants. 

“Looks like it,” Waverly replied as she rubbed a clear patch in the steamed up window to see a truck pulling to a stop in front of them. 

They both took a moment to smooth down their clothes and hair, giggling quietly at the close call before Nicole opened the door to jump out. She turned back to help Waverly out, and Waverly immediately zipped her coat and pulled her hood up against the cold. 

By the time she caught up with Nicole, she was already talking to the truck driver, gesturing back towards the Jeep. After some discussion, they decided that he’d drive them to Nicole’s car and fill it with enough gas to get them going, then come back to tow the Jeep into town. 

“Let’s get your bags from the car, we don’t know how long it might be in the shop,” Nicole suggested. When Waverly opened the trunk to reveal just how many bags and boxes were packed in, Nicole turned to her with a look of incredulity. 

“You didn’t tell me you were moving here?” 

“It’s not all mine,” Waverly defended herself, “I had parcels to bring from other people.” 

“Ah,” Nicole grinned, “are these all gifts for me?” 

“Not if you don’t help me move them,” warned Waverly. 

A short drive later and Waverly sat in the warmth of the truck while Nicole and the driver, Jimmy, got the car running. They transferred Waverly’s bags into the car and with a final thanks to Jimmy, they set off. 

After a detour to the nearest gas station, they finally arrived at the field office, a collection of one-storey buildings with a few cabins set further back from the road. Nicole drove up to one of the cabins, tyres crunching across the fresh untouched snow, and came to a stop. 

“Here we are. Just an hour or two later than intended,” she said. 

“No matter, we’re here now.” 

Waverly got out of the car and looked around as Nicole went to open the door before coming back to help Waverly inside with the bags. Waverly placed what she was carrying down just inside the door and stepped further into the room, Nicole at her back. 

“So this is home?” 

“For now, yeah. It’s hardly luxury but it’s quiet and it’s warm.” 

It wasn’t quite the rustic retreat Waverly might have hoped for, but the cabin was comfortable and cosy. Opposite a small kitchen area, a sofa and an armchair faced an unlit fire, and a desk in the corner was piled with books and papers. Through the open bedroom door, Waverly could see a double bed covered with a blanket she’d given Nicole.

“I like it. Can we have a proper fire?” Waverly asked. 

“I’ve just been using a heater but we can get the fire going. I’ll just put your bags away.” 

“I’ll take these,” Waverly picked up two of the larger bags, “they have things we need now.” 

“Like what?” Nicole was curious. 

“You’ll see soon enough,” Waverly smiled. 

When the bags were stashed away in the bedroom, Nicole said, “I need to go over to the office to check a few things, I left in a bit of a rush. You can stay here if you like, I won’t be long.” 

“No, I’ll come with you. I want to see where you work.” 

They hurried the short distance to the office buildings, snow still falling around them. Nicole led them inside and through a dimly lit corridor into the only office that had lights on. Waverly looked around at the map-covered walls, the banks of monitors and the workstations, only one of which was currently occupied. A young man sat with his back to them, focusing intently on the screens in front of him and oblivious to their presence thanks to the headphones covering his ears. 

Nicole walked over to him, tapping the desk next to him to get his attention. He let out a yelp of surprise and jumped in his seat before pulling off his headphones. 

“Sorry Jeremy, I didn’t mean to startle you.” 

“I didn’t hear you. When did you get back?” 

“About ten minutes ago.” Nicole beckoned Waverly over and said, “This is Waverly. Waverly, Jeremy, my colleague on this project.” 

“Hi Waverly, good to meet you,” Jeremy raised his hand in an awkward wave. 

“You too Jeremy.” 

“I’m just in to finish up what I was working on when I left. You should too, it’s after six,” Nicole told him. 

“Just about to, once I’ve uploaded this. I wanted to finish this before I leave in the morning.” 

“Are you going home for Christmas?” asked Waverly. 

“Yep. Everyone else has already gone, so it’s just Nicole holding down the fort.” 

“Yeah, don’t remind me,” Nicole said as she sat at another workstation and logged in. 

“What are you working on?” Waverly asked Jeremy. 

“Right now, this is bedrock mapping. We’re updating and using these bedrock geology maps for mineral exploration in the area,” he explained, then continued to talk her through what he was doing. 

Nicole rejoined them five minutes later and asked, “Almost done?” 

Jeremy tapped a few more keys, hitting the final one with a flourish. “Done.” 

He closed down his machine and gathered his things before they left together, Nicole locking up behind them. They walked towards the cabins together and before they went their separate ways, Nicole said, “I probably won’t see you before you leave, so have a great Christmas. Enjoy your time at home.” 

“Thanks Boss. Have a good Christmas too, both of you.” 

With a final goodbye, they headed into their own cabins. Once inside, Waverly turned to Nicole and said, “Boss, huh?” 

Nicole groaned. “I’ve given up telling Jeremy not to call me that. He thinks it’s funny.” 

“You are the boss though. How do you like it?” 

“It’s fine, I guess. I don’t really feel like the boss, everyone works hard and we all get on.” 

“Jeremy seems nice.” 

“Yeah, we spend quite a lot of time together. I think I’d go mad if I didn’t have anyone to hang out with all the way out here.” 

“Well, for the next week you’ve got me,” Waverly smiled, wrapping her arms around Nicole’s waist. Just before their lips met, Nicole whispered, “What’s in the bags?” 

“Will you be disappointed to find out they’re not all gifts?” 

“Depends what they actually are.” 

Waverly pulled herself away from Nicole and went over to the bags, opening one to display its contents. Nicole followed her and peered inside. 

“Is that a tiny tree?” 

“I knew you didn’t have any decorations up and we can’t have Christmas without decorations, so I brought some,” Waverly explained. 

“Of course you did,” Nicole laughed happily, “you think of everything.” 

“How about gluhwein while we decorate?” Waverly suggested. 

“Only if we can make it from whatever’s in this bag, I have nothing we need for that.” 

Waverly rummaged further in the bag and triumphantly pulled out a bottle. “Did you doubt me?” 

“Not for one second. But let’s eat first.”

After dinner, Nicole fetched wood for the fire while Waverly started making the mulled wine. 

It only took ten minutes to put up the decorations that Waverly had brought, some fairy lights and a couple of hanging decorations along with the tree, but she was pleased with the effect. She felt a sense of contentment as she took in the scene around her; the only light coming from the fairy lights and the crackling fire, the small tree and the pile of presents, and Nicole arranging cushions and blankets on the floor in front of the fire. 

Waverly had always loved Christmas; even in the tough years after her parents had gone and Wynonna had left, Gus and Curtis had gone out of their way to make Christmas as happy as possible for young Waverly. Nicole knew what the holiday meant to her and went out of her way to make it special every year. Sometimes Waverly couldn’t believe how lucky she was.

They settled down together in front of the fire with their drinks, some of Waverly’s favourite Christmas music playing softly in the background. It wasn’t long before the heat from the fire, the wine and the long day she’d had combined to have Waverly on the edge of sleep. She fought against it, trying to keep up her side of the conversation, but she soon fell into a doze. 

A gentle shake of her shoulder roused her, and she heard Nicole saying her name. She opened her eyes to see Nicole kneeling next to her. 

“Sorry... didn’t mean to fall asleep,” she mumbled. 

“It’s fine. You’ve had a long day,” Nicole reassured her. 

“What time is it?” she asked, pushing herself up to sitting. 

“Just gone 9.30.” 

“Is that all? Wow, what great company I am,” she groaned. 

“I’m not taking it personally, don’t worry. Let’s just go to bed.” 

“But it’s still early,” Waverly protested, although the idea did appeal to her. 

“Yeah, like you never go to bed at this time at home,” Nicole teased. 

“Only when you come with me.” 

“I will. Go get ready and I’ll sort the fire.” 

Waverly quickly went through her usual nighttime routine and was already in bed by the time Nicole came into the bedroom. She watched as she changed into shorts and a tank top despite the cold, and pulled back the blankets for her to slide into bed next to her. As soon as Nicole lay down, Waverly scooted over into her space, draping her arm over her waist and resting her head on her shoulder. She let out a happy sigh and felt as well as heard Nicole chuckle. 

“Better?” 

“Oh yeah. You?” 

“Perfect.” 

Nicole smoothed Waverly’s hair back and kissed her forehead. Waverly shifted in her arms, pressing up to kiss the underside of her jaw, then further to meet her lips. Nicole pulled her closer as she deepened the kiss, until most of Waverly’s weight was resting on her. Waverly’s tiredness was soon forgotten as they continued to kiss, and her hands roamed across Nicole’s body beneath her, tracing every familiar curve. 

Between kisses, Nicole mumbled, “Not so tired now?” 

Waverly slipped her fingers under the waistband of Nicole’s shorts and caught the way her breath hitched. 

“Think I can last a bit longer,” she said as she moved her hand further and smirked at the way Nicole pressed her hips up against her. “And you know I like to finish what I start.” 

🎄

Waverly woke first in the morning, feeling the cool air against her skin, and pulled the blanket up to her chin. She felt Nicole shift behind her and turned to see if she was still asleep. Her eyes were still closed but Waverly was sure she was awake. 

After a moment, Nicole spoke, her voice croaky with sleep. “Stop watching me.” 

“But you’re cute when you sleep.” 

Nicole opened her eyes to look at her. “And when I’m awake?” 

“Eh, sorta,” Waverly shrugged, then squealed as Nicole yanked the blankets away from her. 

“Nicole! It’s freezing!” 

“Is it? I’m pretty warm with all these blankets.” 

Waverly grabbed for the pile that Nicole had covered herself in and after a brief tussle, managed to wrestle them back. 

“Fine, have them. I need to get up anyway.” 

Nicole swung her legs out of bed but before she could stand up, Waverly grabbed the back of her top. 

“Why? Where are you going?” 

“I need to go over to the office for a while.” 

“But it’s Christmas Eve,” Waverly protested. 

“I know, but it’ll just be for an hour or two,” Nicole promised. 

“Do you have to go now?”

“The sooner I go, the sooner I’ll finish.”

Waverly accompanied Nicole over to the office, preferring that to staying in the cabin alone, and spent the morning puttering around, exploring the building and learning more about the project from Nicole. She finished up her work around lunchtime and as she shut down her computer, she said, “Okay, done. No more work for the next couple of days.” 

“Two whole days off? What a luxury,” Waverly laughed. 

“I know. I’m sorry I have to do any work while you’re here, I know it’s boring for you,” Nicole apologised. 

“It’s not. Your work is really interesting, I like finding out more about it.” 

“Well, would you like to see some of our test sites? We could take a run out after lunch?” Nicole suggested. 

“I’m in, as long as we don’t break down somewhere.” 

After lunch, they wrapped up in their outdoor layers and went back outside, Waverly heading for the car they’d arrived in the day before. 

“No car today, that won’t get us where we need to go,” Nicole informed her. 

“How do we get there then? You didn’t mean an actual run, did you?” Waverly groaned, and Nicole laughed, “No, no running. Over here.” 

They rounded the corner of the office building and Waverly saw three snowmobiles parked under a shelter. “Oh, this is so much better than a car!” She clapped her hands together in delight, the sound muffled by her thick gloves. 

Nicole went for the largest of the three machines and manoeuvred out of the shelter. She patted the seat behind her and Waverly climbed on, pressing herself against Nicole’s back and wrapping her arms around her waist. 

They spent a couple of hours touring some of the sites Nicole’s team had been using, but it was really an excuse to explore the deserted countryside on the snowmobile. Waverly was taken with everything; the ride, the breathtaking scenery, the enthusiasm with which Nicole spoke about her work. 

By the time they arrived back at base, faces flushed from the cold air and fast ride back, Waverly felt light and carefree, full of good cheer. 

As she waited for Nicole to lock up the snowmobile, Waverly gathered a handful of snow and began shaping it between her hands. When Nicole walked back towards her, Waverly raised her arm and threw the snowball, laughing at Nicole’s expression as it exploded against her chest. She quickly made another snowball as Nicole moved towards her, but her throw was wild and missed her altogether. 

Waverly turned to run but Nicole caught up to her in a few strides and, grabbing her around the waist, lifted her off her feet. She walked them towards her cabin, Waverly laughing and squirming all the way, and set her down on the steps. Waverly turned to face her, a little wary of what she might be planning, but Nicole just smiled at her, cheeks pink from the cold air. She looked so beautiful that Waverly couldn’t resist leaning in to kiss her. Just before their lips met, Waverly was shocked by the feeling of something freezing pressing against her cheek and dripping down her neck. She jumped back with a squeal to see Nicole grinning with a handful of snow raised towards her. 

“Nicole! That wasn’t fair,” she pouted, brushing as much of the snow away from her face as she could. 

“Don’t dish it out if you can’t take it,” Nicole laughed, then took pity on Waverly and dropped the snow she was holding before ushering her inside the cabin. 

They stripped off their outdoor clothes and while Nicole got the fire going, Waverly went to dry off. When she went back into the room, now clad in her favourite fluffy Christmas sweater and carrying a bag, Nicole smiled and said, “Very festive.” 

“Well, we always do Christmas sweaters on Christmas Eve.” 

“You do Christmas sweaters through all of December,” Nicole teased, “I don’t have mine though.” 

Waverly handed her the bag. “That’s where you’re wrong.” 

“Oh, you brought mine?” 

“This was sent by your mom, I’m not sure what it is.” 

With a curious expression, Nicole delved into the bag and pulled out a dark green sweater. She started to laugh as soon as she unfolded it. “I can’t believe she kept this.” 

“What is it?” Waverly asked. 

Nicole turned it so she could see the glitter, tinsel and tiny plastic candy canes scattered haphazardly across them front. 

“Wow, that’s something. Did you make it?” 

“With my own two hands. We had some kind of ‘make your own Christmas sweater day’ at school. You’ll be shocked to hear I didn’t win,” Nicole laughed, looking again at the sweater fondly. 

“Well, I think it’s cute. How old were you?” 

“I don’t know, twelve, thirteen maybe? I can’t believe my mom held on to this.” 

“I’m glad she did. Think it’ll still fit?” 

“I’m pretty sure it will. I was a tall thirteen year old.” 

“I know, I’ve seen the photos,” Waverly laughed, thinking of Nicole as a gangly kid. 

Nicole pulled the sweater on over her t-shirt and gave a dramatic twirl to show Waverly that it did in fact still fit, even if it left her wrists exposed. 

“Perfect! Now it’s Christmas,” Waverly declared happily.

The rest of the evening was spent preparing food for the next day and watching Christmas movies, and although it wasn’t quite the Christmas Eve they were used to, Waverly felt perfectly content. 

🎄

In the morning, Waverly woke early and knew she wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep; she had never quite grown out of the excitement of Christmas morning. Nicole was still sleeping soundly so Waverly slipped quietly out of bed and into the other room. Shivering in the frigid air, she quickly got to work lighting a fire. 

While the room was warming up, she rearranged the piles of presents next to the tree then made a pot of coffee. She only lasted another five minutes before impatience took over and she went back into the bedroom to check if Nicole was awake. When she saw that she was just beginning to stir, Waverly put the cup of coffee down on the bedside table and crawled back under the blankets. 

Nicole rolled towards her and cracked one eye open, a sleepy smile spreading across her face when she saw Waverly curled up next to her. 

“Mmm, morning,” she whispered. 

Waverly reached out to cup her jaw, brushing a thumb softly across her cheek. Of all the sides she saw to Nicole, this was one of her favourites; open, and soft, and absolutely hers. 

“Merry Christmas, my love.” Waverly closed the distance between them to plant a kiss on Nicole’s lips. 

“Merry Christmas,” Nicole smiled, “Have you been up already?” 

“I got the fire going, and made coffee,” replied Waverly. 

“And you couldn’t sleep later because you were too excited?” Nicole teased. 

“Maybe... are you getting up?” 

“Come on, then. I can see you’re about to burst.” 

The day passed in a flurry of swapping presents, eating the food they’d prepared the day before and lazing in front of the fire. After dinner, when the dishes were cleared away and leftovers packed away in the fridge, they sprawled together on the sofa, too full to do anything more strenuous. 

“I wonder what we’ll be doing this time next year? Everything will be different,” Waverly spoke up. 

“We won’t be on our own in the back of beyond, for one.” 

“We might still be in the back of beyond if we go to Purgatory,” laughed Waverly. 

“Oh, we’re definitely going to Purgatory next Christmas.” 

Waverly lifted her head to look at Nicole. “Yeah?” 

“Of course. The first Christmas with a baby Earp. We can’t miss that.” 

For what felt like the hundredth time, Waverly said, “I still can’t believe Wynonna’s having a baby. We’ll be aunties.” 

“I can’t wait.” 

Waverly smiled at Nicole’s enthusiasm; she was possibly even more excited about becoming an aunt than Waverly was herself. Despite Nicole’s slightly rocky start with Wynonna, they’d grown close and Waverly felt that Nicole fit perfectly with her little family in Purgatory. 

“It’s huge, but there’ll be another big change come next Christmas.” Waverly reminded Nicole. 

“Oh yeah? What’s that?” she asked innocently, her wide smile giving away that she knew exactly what Waverly was talking about. 

“Just us being married, that’s all.” 

“Oh that? Yeah, I guess that’s a big deal,” Nicole laughed, pressing a kiss to the top of Waverly’s head. 

Waverly took Nicole’s left hand in hers and ran her thumb over the ring on her fourth finger, as she had a habit of doing. “Ten months to go. It feels so far away still, but we have so much to do.” 

“I’m sorry I’ve not been much help while I’ve been here. I’ll be much more involved when I’m home,” Nicole promised. 

“It’s okay, you know I like planning. There’s just so much to get right though.” 

“It’ll be perfect. Or it won’t be, but it won’t matter because at the end of it, we’ll be married and I’ll get to call you my wife.” 

Waverly turned in Nicole’s arms and pushed herself up far enough to kiss her. “See, when you say things like that you make me want to ditch all the plans and run off to get married, just us.” 

“Mmm, you know I’d have no objections to that. You and me, a beach maybe. Sounds perfect.”   
Waverly could hear the smile in Nicole’s voice. 

“It does. But then, you and me, our family and friends, a huge party,” Waverly countered. 

“I know. We made the right choice. The honeymoon, on the other hand...” Nicole brushed aside Waverly’s hair and leaned down to brush her lips across the sensitive spot behind her ear. 

Waverly shivered slightly in response. “Oh yeah. Tell me more about you, me and that beach...”

Later that night, Waverly was burrowed under the extra blankets on the bed, waiting for Nicole join her. She watched as she moved around the small room, tidying things away, until Waverly spoke up, “Leave that and come to bed.” 

Nicole closed the drawer and stood up to walk over to the bed. “Okay,” she leaned down to drop a kiss on her forehead, “did you have a good day?” 

“The best. Thank you for going to so much effort to make it so good.” 

“You did most of it. Thank you for coming to spend it here.” 

“It was so worth it. Even the broken down car,” Waverly laughed. 

“Oh, I’ll call Jimmy tomorrow and find out when we can pick it up. Now that it’s not full of gifts, think you’ll have room for me on the way home?” 

Waverly looked at her in surprise. Nicole hadn’t mentioned anything about coming home, as far as Waverly knew she’d be staying another month before coming back for a weekend visit. 

“You’re coming with me?” 

“I think I deserve a week off. I want to have New Year and my birthday at home,” Nicole smiled. 

“You can do that?” 

“I’m the boss, remember? Everyone else got to have Christmas off, now it’s my turn.” 

Waverly’s grin grew wider. “I’m so happy! I wasn’t looking forward to New Year without you.” 

“I couldn’t miss starting the new year with you. I want to start every year with you,” Nicole told her sincerely, and Waverly felt her eyes prickle with happy tears. 

“Get in this bed right now,” she laughed. 

Nicole shed her jeans and pulled her sweater over her head, dropping them to the side before slipping under the covers and closer to Waverly. Waverly watched with a smile as Nicole’s expression changed from surprise to delight as she felt Waverly’s bare skin against her own. 

“That explains the extra blankets,” she smirked. 

“I didn’t see the point of putting pyjamas on just to take them off again,” Waverly shrugged, reaching to pull her closer then rolling them so that she was stretched out on top of Nicole. 

“I like your thinking. I think this is gonna be my favourite gift yet.” 

Waverly’s eyes roamed over Nicole’s face, eyes shining bright and cheek dimpled with her soft smile. Just before their lips met, she whispered, “Merry Christmas baby.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading folks, I hope your teeth haven’t rotted with all that sweetness.
> 
> I’m on Twitter @HaughtToScot if you like random ramblings and photos of dogs.
> 
> However you celebrate, I hope you have a good one!


End file.
